Broken
by Zhe01
Summary: The breaking of princes. FujiTezuka!Ryoma
1. Cracks

**First, everything starts cracking.**

Echizen left the clubhouse and walked towards the court after Inui and Kaidoh.

"Wish we can do something for that guy."

Oishi turned to Momoshiru, the only person left besides him in the clubhouse still.

"Echizen?"

Momoshiru nodded.

"I don't think he even wanted us to know."

"Yeah, but it's still obvious and I still wish there was something that anyone can do."

"You guys hang out. Isn't there anything specific that he likes doing to keep his mind busy?"

"Eh… he likes playing on street doubles, but he doesn't tell us that."

"No, no. I meant other than tennis."

"Not really. He enjoys eating."

"No, that's a bad thing to encourage."

Momoshiru shrugged. "Come on, before Tezuka-buchou decides to give us laps." Momoshiru put the racquet over his shoulder while he walked. "We're in high school now and he _still _gives us laps!"

Oishi smiled and followed Momoshiru to the courts. "For fitness, Momo."

"Meh, fitness, fitness. I'm fit!" Momoshiru said, flexing his hand dramatically.

"Momoshiru! What are you doing?"

"Kya!" Momoshiru ran into the courts. "Sorry, buchou!"

Oishi jogged into the courts after him.

Momoshiru approached Oishi during a water break. "Look." He nodded towards court1, where Echizen was rallying with Tezuka, thought rallying wouldn't be very accurate. Echizen was _hitting_. His grunts and follow-through matched those during his serious matches, yet less powerful while he was returning the ball to Tezuka in a straight line. Not even aiming to the corners, though Tezuka was.

Soon, Tezuka stopped the rally. "Take a break."

"I don't need a break."

"Drink water and rest your body for a few minutes."

Tezuka was already walking off the court, so Echizen went to his bench and threw the racquet onto the bag before sitting and pulling out his towel. He put it over his head then brought in the corner to wipe his face before leaning and resting his elbows on his knees and watching everyone else. He reached into his bag and pulled out an energy drink.

He drank a little then downed some water to push any possibility of acidity further down before leaning back on the fence and exhaling, looking up at the sky while drinking water sometimes.

"Ready, Echizen?"

Echizen tossed the bottles back into his bag, picked up his racquet and stood. He wiped his face one last time before tossing his towel onto his bag and walking onto the court. He bounced the balls on his court up into his hand and pocketed one of them after choosing the one he wanted to rally with first. He bounced it before starting a new rally.

"Cross," Tezuka said before returning the ball to the far left. They hit crosscourt, which gave Echizen a deep range and fine width for hitting, which he used very thoroughly. Tezuka stopped the rally. "Echizen, what are you doing?"

Echizen stopped and looked at him. "What am I doing, buchou?"

"Why are you using your right? Are you injured?"

"No." Echizen held the racquet with his left. "You are," he muttered under his breath.

"We have a tournament starting tomorrow, don't be careless."

_I'm not the one being careless._

"Inside-out," Tezuka later announced, changing directions slowly until their positions were on an inside-out and backhand rally.

Echizen hit three consecutive balls out that Tezuka returned anyway and the fourth hit the net. "DAMN IT."

"Concentrate, Echizen."

Echizen started the rally but the ball hit the net again. "Fuck," he hissed.

"Tezuka, I'm going for a drink," Fuji said, running past after motioning for Echizen to wait. Tezuka nodded. Echizen wiped his face with his sleeve before he started the rally as soon as Fuji passed the center line.

"Wait for him to leave, Echizen."

The rally continued.

Echizen stopped the ball and held it. "The ball lost pressure." He lobbed it to Tezuka, who caught it and tested it then nodded and put it in his bag before returning.

"Go."

Echizen resumed the rally.

"Last rally, Echizen. Then, we play 3 games."

A few hits later, the ball went into the net. "Crap - playing like a damn **_beginner_**!" Echizen called out, hitting the ball at the fence behind him, making it shake.

"Echizen!" Tezuka called, absorbing his anger. "Serve."

Echizen retrieved the ball and picked up the ones at the net, pushing the ones on the other side towards Tezuka before returning to the baseline while mocking the service motion to warm up his shoulder to the new motion.

They took turns warming up their serves at each other.

"Your serve?"

Echizen nodded and took his place at the center mark. With a grunt, Echizen's serve exploded towards the T mark at the service line and flew at the fence behind Tezuka before he can breathe.

Tezuka turned.

The ball was stuck in the fence right where Fuji stood, frozen mid-walk. The ball popped out the fence and landed next to his shoe, leaving a molded gape in the fence.

Tezuka ran to the fence.

"Syuusuke."

Fuji picked up the ball then looked at Tezuka through the fence. His eyes were open and a cloud was hovering in each.

"Are you ok?"

Fuji nodded. "So much power…" he said, showing Tezuka the broken ball.

They turned to the sound of a ball bouncing.

Echizen stood at the center mark once more, bouncing the ball and waiting for Tezuka to take his place.

"Hoi, hoi," Eiji was finally able to whisper.

It wasn't the broken ball in Fuji's hand that made Tezuka's eyes narrow. It wasn't the fence. Nor was it the competitive posture. It was the foreign glint in Echizen's eyes.

"Mada, mada da ne."


	2. Depths

**Then, the cracks go deeper.**

"Tezuka," Oishi said, sitting on the chair next to Tezuka at the study table in the library. "You have to do something: he's not doing well. Talk to him…"

"And tell him what?"

"Anything!" Oishi replied, desperately. "Tell him anything."

Tezuka looked at Oishi for a few seconds, taking in the intensity in his eyes then turned back to the book in front of him.

Oishi watched Tezuka until he was sure the conversation was over.

Suddenly, Tezuka stood.

"I have to go. I have a commitment. See you, Oishi."

Tezuka left Oishi sitting at the table, looking at his retreating back with a troubled look.

Many streets later, Tezuka found himself walking into the courts under the bridge.

"Buchou."

He turned to his right and nodded. "Echizen. Ready?"

Echizen nodded. He picked up his racquet and stretched.

As always, the rallies were fast and furious. Every hit echoed and marked the ground further.

The sun started setting, but the hitting continued.

"Six games all," Tezuka said after winning the last point. He stood in a more relaxed stance. "We should stop."

"Why?"

"There's no proper lighting here."

Echizen looked up and around. "Che."

"Ah, are you two finished?"

Echizen turned to the entrance of the court. He turned to Tezuka, his eyes narrower and his teeth gritted. "I thought these matches were _ours_."

Tezuka didn't have time to answer as Fuji spoke first.

"Say, Echizen-kun? Would you like to come with us for dinner?"

"No," Echizen said, going to pack his bag.

"Aw, come on. We'd love to have you," Fuji said, ignoring Tezuka's disapproving head-shake.

"No."

"Aw…"

Tezuka went to pack too.

"I have homework."

"It's Saturday, Echizen-kun. Even Tezuka doesn't study on a Saturday unless it's a final."

Echizen zipped his bag and stood, Tezuka a second behind, and carried his bag.

"There's a good Arabic take-out that sells chicken and meat shawerma sandwiches."

"What's that?"

"It's a very good sandwich with either garlic spread or an Arabic sauce they call tahini."

"Whatever."

"Come on, before it gets crowded."

Fuji took them to the Arabic place called 'Shalaweet'. It was small and busy. Tezuka opened the door, his arm holding it open over Fuji's head. Fuji walked in with a smile. The corners of Tezuka's lips were up.

Echizen's eyes deflected to the store next to it. _Ah, a pharmacy and a mobile store. How very interesting. Maybe I should call for help._ He laughed mentally. An empty, manic laugh that left him cold and stiff.

"Echizen."

He looked back into the take-out restaurant. Tezuka stood, holding the door from the inside.

"I'm leaving, buchou. Have a pleasant evening you two and en joy your dinner."

Echizen walked off, his foreign aura from the previous day licking at Tezuka like a bullwhip.

Tezuka didn't have a chance to think. He walked back to Fuji in autopilot and stood next to him.

"Where's Echizen-kun?"

"He…left."

Fuji's looked at him. "Left?"

"…Yeah."

"That's too bad. Those shawermas are good!" Fuji said, turning to the man wrapping their order.

Tezuka looked at the door and through it. "That's not all."

Fuji turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"Oishi and I spoke today, before the match with Echizen…"

"Sir?"

Fuji turned to the man. "Ah, thank you." He took the bag. "Go on, Mitsu." They walked out of the restaurant, each holding his shawerma, and kept walking aimlessly together.

"For that reason… it seems like we're losing him."

Fuji stopped and turned to Tezuka, his eyes open.

Tezuka's browns met with Fuji's blues.

"Oh dear."


	3. Shatters

**After gaining depth… everything shatters.**

Momoshiru sat next to him.

"You know, Echizen," he said, looking at his profile. He stopped and frowned at the expression on his face. "Maybe you should just forget about it… I mean… they're obviously happy… and… well, do you _want_ to spoil other people's happiness?"

Echizen turned to him. "What the hell are you talking about, Momo-senpai?"

Momoshiru exhaled and shook his head, turning to the school's playground through the rooftop's fence. "You know what I'm talking about. I'm your friend, you know. At least I like to believe I am." Momoshiru turned to him. "Am I?"

Echizen watched him. "Idiot." He turned back to the playground.

"Hey! Rude lower-classman," he muttered, turning to the playground too.

As they ate, two familiar teammates walked through the grounds. Echizen sighed. Momoshiru turned to him once more, frowning.

"Echizen, come on. Let's go."

"I don't want to."

Momoshiru watched the guards go down and the mischievous eyes melted to clouded pools. He looked away before his heartbeats turned painful at watching his friend in so much pain.

"I don't care."

He looked back at Echizen.

"I don't care what happens when I'm not there, when the doors are closed… or when I'm there to watch. I don't."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself that."

Echizen snorted - eyes still on the playground. On one specific back. "I don't care."

"You know, the heart is like glass: it can only hold so much pressure. And when it shatters… it's gone."

Echizen stood. "We have class."

They parted at the hallway to separate classes.

Echizen stopped a few steps away from his class.

"Buchou."

"Echizen."

"Echizen, how are you today?" Fuji said.

Echizen turned abruptly and looked around behind him.

"What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

Echizen turned back to them with a barely noticeable sway. Fuji's eyes opened.

"No… I just… I thought I heard something…" His eyes slowly closed as he started floating downwards into some cold open space he had never been to before. "Shatter…"


	4. Remains

**After shattering, all that is left are haunting remains of what once was.**

Thunder clapped as the rain kept falling.

"Goodnight, Mitsu."

Tezuka nodded. "Goodnight."

Fuji left the clubhouse to his sister waiting outside, leaving Tezuka to lock up.

Tezuka picked up his bag as the door opened once more.

"Forgot something?" he said, turning around, and froze.

"Sort of."

"Echizen."

Thunder clapped once more.

"What are you doing here, still?" Tezuka said. "You look pale."

"I came to say goodbye."

Tezuka's breath hitched.

"I've had enough of Japan. I've had enough of this feeling. And, most of all, I've had enough of you - or of not having you." Echizen shrugged. "You're obviously happy - I won't touch that." He looked at his space then approached it and placed his jacket and jersey in neatly. "I enrolled in Saddlebrook, Florida. I'm leaving."

Something large made its way halfway into Tezuka's throat as his heart became heavy.

Echizen finally looked directly at him. "I'm not coming back, buchou." His pleading eyes looked up. "I love you." Then, his voice dropped in almost a whisper. "Goodbye."

He turned around and walked away into the rain.

The lump in Tezuka's throat expanded.

As thunder clapped once more, the remains of a brutal shattering echoed through the night before fading into the pounding rain. Neither knew what it was - but the remaining emptiness it left behind in the place of what once was left everything very cold and very still. And even the pouring rain couldn't wash away those hollow remains.


End file.
